Ryan Moeller

Wyoming

Sep 20 (Sat)

8:15 p.m.

Photo by: Roger Carry

Position:
Defensive Back
Height:
6-1
Weight:
215
Class:
Junior
Hometown:
Rifle, Colo.
High School:
Rifle

AT COLORADO: Career—One of the top special team performers in CU annals, he finished with 22 tackles on coverage units (16 solo), 19th on the all-time list, and his 56 overall special team points were the 14th most … Ended his career, which he started as a walk-on, with 156 tackles (118 solo).
2017 (Sr.)—He played in the first 10 games of the season before a hip injury suffered in the Arizona State contest forced him to miss the last two games … Once again, played the hybrid position of safety/outside linebacker that was called the “Buff linebacker” in CU’s defensive scheme … At the team’s senior banquet, the coaching staff presented him with the Derek Singleton Award for spirit, dedication and enthusiasm … In 514 snaps from scrimmage, he was credited with 44 tackles (36 solo, two for losses and four that allowed no gain) … He also had six third down stops, five pass deflections, three quarterback hurries, two touchdown saves a fumble recovery … Produced his season single-game high in tackles in the season opener against Colorado State, when he was in on eight stops (six solo, two for zero gains); also added a PBU and a third down stop in playing his high of 80 snaps … He had five or more tackles in five games, including seven at Washington State when he had two pass breakups … He was having a productive game against Arizona State (six tackles, one for a loss, a quarterback hurry and third down stop) before going down with the injury … On special teams he earned five points on the strength of two unassisted tackles (one that was inside the 20-yard line), one assist and a caused penalty … One of 63 players on the official watch list for the Burlsworth Trophy, which is awarded to the nation’s top walk-on (former or since scholarshipped) … Athlon Sports selected him to its preseason fourth-team All-Pac-12 performer.
2016 (Jr.)—He played in all 13 games (nine starts in his unique nickel back/outside linebacker hybrid role) in addition to starting the Alamo Bowl … Earned first-team All-Pac-12 selection as a special teams player who was not a kicker or return man … Ranked fourth on the team in special teams points with 21, with his nine tackles (six solo) tied for the second-most on the team … Also forced six fair catches, was credited with being the first downfield (on a kickoff or punt that altered return path) three times along with downing two punts … On defense, he played 448 snaps in recording 44 tackles (27 solo, four for losses), two forced fumbles, two pass breakups, one quarterback pressure and one third down stop … Top statistical game of the season came in the Pac-12 Championship game against No. 4 Washington when he had eight tackles, including two for losses, with one pass breakup in a season-high 57 snaps … Opened the season with a four-tackle performance in 31 plays on defense in a win over Colorado State … Finished with three tackles in 53 plays on defense in the win at Oregon, in a game in which he drew his first start of the season (at nickel back) … Forced a fumble at Arizona, which extended CU’s streak of consecutive games forcing a turnover to 23 in a row … Had seven tackles, including one for a loss, at Arizona … Posted five tackles in back-to-back games at USC and versus Arizona State … Was the co-recipient of the Dick Anderson Award, presented by the coaches to the player(s) who showed outstanding toughness during spring practices … He returned at full health for spring ball after recovering from cognitive, physical and emotional affects from being rear-ended on his moped the previous October.
2015 (Soph.)—He started the first seven games of the season at strong safety, but missed the final six games after being involved in an automobile-motor bike accident on Oct. 19, when he suffered an assortment of injuries … Played well under half the snaps (376) but still finished eighth on the team in tackles with 47 (37 solo) … Also had three third down stops, two touchdown saves, a pair of pass deflections, a forced fumble, a tackle for loss, a tackle for zero gain and a chasedown (near-sack) … Made his first career interception, swiping a pass against Massachusetts … He had a season-high 11 tackles against Colorado State (eight solo), and had 10 against Arizona (nine solo, including his caused fumble) … Just prior to the start of August camp, he was placed on scholarship.
2014 (Fr.-RS)—He played in all 12 games, including a pair of starts at free safety at the end of the year (at Oregon, versus Utah) … In 148 snaps from scrimmage, he recorded 21 tackles (18 solo) along with two touchdown saves … He set a school record for the most tackles in playing a first game on defense, which was also in his first start at Oregon, ranked No. 3 in the nation at the time … Posted 14 tackles – all unassisted – against the Ducks as he was in for all 77 snaps … Also had three of those tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage (two stops for zero and one for a loss), adding a third down stop, a near-sack (quarterback chasedown), a TD save and a pass deflection in one of the top debuts in school history … He finished fifth on the team in special team points with 20, as he was in on seven tackles (six solo, two inside-the-20), with six first downfield credits that altered returns, four knockdown blocks and a forced fair catch … He had a big spring, posting the second-most tackles in the four main spring scrimmages with 24 (20 solo); seven of those came in the spring game (six unassisted).
2013 (Fr.)—Redshirted; he practiced at defensive back over the course of the fall, also doing whatever was asked of him on scout team duty … Joined the team as a recruited walk-on for August drills.

HIGH SCHOOL—As a senior, he earned first-team All-Colorado honors from the Denver Post, which also selected him first-team All-State (3A); he was also the 3A state player of the year in being named first-team All-Western Slope League and he was a second-team All-American (small schools) by Max Preps … He was the seventh leading rusher in the nation (second in Colorado) in 2012, as he had 272 carries for 3,002 yards and 43 touchdowns; that was an average of 11.0 per try and included a long TD run of 94 yards … Caught five passes for 209 yards (41.8 per) with three scores, one of which also covered 94 yards … Scored 50 touchdowns overall, as he had eight interceptions with two “pick-sixes” and two more scored on punt returns … Racked up 57 tackles (39 solo), with two forced fumbles and two pass deflections … As a junior, the Post selected him to its first-team All-State squad and he was also All-League; in addition, he was the Wendy’s Colorado player of the year … Was 12th nationally in rushing with 280 carries for 2469 yards and 22 touchdowns (8.8 per attempt), with a 97-yard scoring run; he had 53 tackles on defense (39 solo), with two interceptions, three hurries, two forced fumbles and two recoveries … For the 24 games over the course of his junior and senior seasons, he rushed for 5,471 yards and 65 touchdowns, despite playing in the second half only six times (four as a senior, two as a junior) … As a sophomore, he earned first-team All-WSL accolades with 144 carries for 1,500 yards (10.4), with 18 touchdowns … Thus for his career as a three year starter at tailback and strong safety, he had 697 rushing attempts for 7,043 yards and 84 touchdowns, averaging a gaudy 10.1 yards per carry; overall, he scored 93 touchdowns (and accounted for one more with a TD pass as a junior) … He had 31 games of 100-plus yards, with 16 of 200 or more and four at 300-plus; he had 17 career runs of 60 yards or longer … Had 14 career interceptions. Top career games: as a senior against Moffat County, in a 45-0 win, he rushed 20 times for 416 yards and five touchdowns; Glenwood Springs (34-326, 3 TD in a 28-0 win) and Erie (22-262, 4 TD in a 42-0 win) … As a junior, his best games came versus Delta (20-321, 4 TD in a 41-7 win) and Moffat County (26-319, 5 TD in a 48-6 win) … Under coach Damon Wells, Rifle went 13-1 his senior year and 11-1 his junior season (14-0 combined in league play), but lost in the 2012 state championship game and in the 2011 quarterfinals; RHS was 6-4 his sophomore year and 4-6 his freshman season when he was a reserve on offense and played special teams (he had one rush that year, which went for 72 yards and a score) … He also lettered in wrestling (171 lb. class) and track (sprints and jumps); Rifle was the 3A state champion his sophomore year … As a junior, he was on the state champion 4x200-meter relay team and he owned prep bests of 22-0¼ in the long jump and 45-3¼ in the triple jump … He lettered as a freshman in baseball, batting .263 with one home run (a 340-foot slam), but summed up his career as the “King of swinging bunts.”

ACADEMICS— He graduated with his degree in Communication from Colorado in December 2017 … He owned a 3.3 grade point average in high school and earned Academic All-State honors as a sophomore (and honorable mention status as a junior) … In April 2017, he was honored with CU’s Clancy A. Herbst Student-Athlete Achievement Award, which is presented to those who overcome personal, academic or emotional challenge difficulties to succeed both academically and athletically.

PERSONAL—He was born July 14, 1995 in Denver … His hobbies include snowboarding, camping, fishing, target shooting and playing basketball … His father, Jay, lettered in football and wrestling at Northern Iowa (he also played semi-pro football) … Among many summer jobs he has had, perhaps the most interesting was bucking hay bales, which is basically stacking by hand 50- to 150-pound bales of hay, usually in a barn … In the summer of 2016 he interned with Northwestern Mutual in Boulder … He is very active in community service, among his good deeds included assisting in youth football, participating in the Adopt-A-Highway clean-up program, helped provide meals to the homeless with Extended Table in Glenwood Springs, volunteered at the Castle Valley Children’s Clinic Christmas party for special needs kids, singing on Veteran’s day at a local nursing home and helped stack sandbags for flood abatement.